Comb



Patented Nov. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in combs and has particular reference to a comb particularly designed for use by barbers in the cutting of hair.

The principal object of the invention is to produce a comb wherein the coarse teeth, ordinarily employed for combing the hair, are now used for cutting hair, in counter-distinction to the ordinary fine teeth which have heretofore been used in the cutting operation.

A further object is to produce a comb which may be used for cutting hair to either long or short length.

A still further object is to produce a comb which fits the hand of the user, and is so shaped that the index finger naturally lies parallel to the large teeth and consequently directs the attention to the hair being cut, thus saving eye strain.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. l is a side elevation of my comb,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail cross sectional View on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan View of the points of the teeth,

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of the comb,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail View showing the manner in which the teeth are cut, and

Fig. 6 illustrates the manner in which the large teeth are curved so as to follow the contour of the head, which is designated by broken lines.

In the conventional barbers comb, the fine toothed end is used for cutting the hair, while the coarse toothed end is used exclusively for combing the hair. I have devised my, comb whereby hair may be cut to its shortest length, as well as to its longest length, with the coarse toothed end of the comb, and I have created a concave curve at the point of the large teeth, so as to conform with the round shape of the head, thus allowing the comb to contact the scalp on the full length of the large toothed end. Such a comb will consequently pick up all of the hair with which it comes into contact. This type of comb must necessarily be more efiici-ent, for it allows the hair to freely move through the comb teeth, thus making it easier to cut out steps left in the hair after the first or rough cut,

Barbers, as a rule, hold their comb on the ball of the thumb and forefinger and balance or guide the comb on the first phalanx of the second or middle finger. I have, therefore, designed the back of the comb so that the back of the fine toothed end is straight, where it rests on the ball of the thumb and forefinger, and I have provided an outward curve at the back of the coarse toothed end. This construction presents the coarse teeth as parallel with the index finger, which causes the coarse teeth of the comb, when cutting hair, to be in a natural direct line with the index finger. The index finger is thus pointing directly at the hair to be out, which will tend to eliminate eye strain for the left hand doing the cutting naturally follows the index finger of the right hand, or vice versa if the operator is left-handed. As a protection against breakage when dropping the comb, I provide the ends with heavy rounded portions, which construction not only gives greater strength, but also prevents scratching or bruising of the scalp, should the barber accidentally strike the comb against the scalp.

In the accompanying drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates the back of the comb having a straight portion 6 and a curved portion 1. Fine teeth 8 are formed along the straight portion of the back, while coarse teeth 9 are provided along the curved portion of the back. It will be noted that the ends of the coarse teeth are curved from the junction with the fine teeth to the end of the comb, and by referring to Fig. 6 this curvature has been somewhat exaggerated in order to bring out on a small scale the function of this curvature.

Referring to Fig. 5, it will be noted that the teeth are preferably rectangular in shape, but it is of course obvious that they might be oval or of any other desired shape. The ends of the comb II and 12 are curved, so as to strengthen the same, thus forming a blunt end, whereby the scalp of the customer will not be injured, if contacted thereby.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:-

A barbers comb comprising a back including a substantially straight portion extending from end of the comb toward the center thereof, and.

in a manner to form a concaved outline at the Outer ends thereof; and said fine teeth increasing in length from adjacent the opposite end of the comb toward the center thereof and together with the coarse teeth presenting an outwardly curved outline at the outer ends thereof along the central portion of the comb.

THERON W. DORREL. 

